“What Kind of a Child Is This?”- Usain Bolt’s Mother Watched in Disbelief as the 3-Week-Old Bolt Pulled an Impossible Move

Published 07/03/2022, 11:00 AM EDT

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People begin to show signs of talent at an early age. Based on the area the child is skilled at, their parents decide on their best future. However, Usain Bolt displayed an ability at such an early age that even his mother was shocked.

The sprinter was a mere three weeks old when his mother saw him doing something that surprised her. She knew right then that her son possessed special abilities.

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An incident which surprised the mother of Usain Bolt

Bolt’s mother was always aware that her son possessed special abilities. However, it became apparent to the mother when she witnessed her son trying to do something deemed impossible for most newborns.

When Bolt was just three weeks old, the newborn almost tumbled over from the bed. When his mother came by, she observed him trying to push himself up from his position. His mother had an epiphany that day. She understood that her child had potential. But that did not stop her from thinking, “What kind of a child is this?”

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via Getty

However, with each passing day, his mother became increasingly convinced about the child’s athletic prowess. Soon, Bolt outperformed his classmates in sprinting events during sporting events. It made his parents realize his potential in the sport.

Therefore, the parents sent Bolt to Kingston, the capital of Jamaica, to train professionally at age 15. And we all know how that turned out for him.

The growth of Bolt as an athlete

Bolt has various accolades to his name. But his most significant feat is the title of the fastest man alive. He achieved this feat during the 2009 IAAF World Championships.

In the 100m race, the athlete blazed past his opponents to complete the event in a record time of 9.58s. This time was so fast that nobody has been able to break the world record since then.

However, he did not achieve this feat out of the blue. Bolt had to endure various hardships to reach the pedestal of the greatest sprinter in the world. Previously, the sprinter outperformed compatriot Asafa Powell’s world record of 9.74s in the 100m.

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At the IAAF Grand Prix in Rieti, Italy, the sprinter completed the race in 9.72s, bettering Powell’s time by 0.02 seconds. Bolt has not looked back since. Subsequently, he outperformed his time before achieving the time people associate him with.

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His most notable time in the event before the 2009 World Championships was at the 2008 Beijing Olympics when he finished the race in a staggering 9.69s. It was the world record for the fastest time in the 100m before Bolt topped this record the following year.

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Written by:

Aklanta Chetia

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Aklanta Chetia Wanniang is a US Sports author for EssentiallySports. He has a Master's degree in Literature from the University of Delhi. With an interest in learning about multiple sports, Aklanta himself is a former sportsperson and has participated in state and national level swimming events.
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Edited by:

Vibhanshu Kumar